PRAYER - "Praying About Family Sins"
When the perverse men of Gibeah (who were Benjamites) raped and killed the Levite's concubine, all Israel was inflamed. Phineas, the high priest, enquired of the Lord whether Israel should declare war on the Benjamites. God said "yes." You have to obey God.

Judges 20:28 - "And Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, stood before [the ark] in those days,) saying, Shall I yet again go out to battle against the children of Benjamin my brother, or shall I cease? And the LORD said, Go up; for to morrow I will deliver them into thine hand."

PRINCIPALS - "Gideon's Snare"
Deuteronomy 7:25-26 says, "Thou shalt not desire the silver or gold that is on them, nor take it unto thee, lest thou be snared therein: for it is an abomination to the Lord thy God. ...but thou shalt utterly detest it, and thou shalt utterly abhor it; for it is a cursed thing." Gideon's family was cursed because he disobeyed, by coveting jewelry from Israel's wars. One evil son killed Gideon's seventy other sons.

Judges 8:24 - "...Gideon said unto them, ...give me every man the earrings of his prey. (For they had golden earrings)."

PRINCIPLES - "Spoiling A Legacy"

Gideon refused to be king of Israel. "I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: the LORD shall rule over you," (Judges 8:23). But Gideon sinned with the golden earrings, and his heroic legacy was lost. At Ophrah, where Gideon met the angel of the Lord, and built the altar to Jehovah Shalom, he caused Israel to go whoring after the golden ephod. He was buried there. His wicked son, Abimelech, manipulated the Shechemites into crowning him king.

Judges 9:5 - Abimelech "...went unto his father's house at Ophrah, and slew his brethren."


PROPHECIES - "The Parable of the Trees"

Gideon's evil son, Abimelech, usurped rule over Israel by killing all his brothers except Jotham, who escaped. Jotham prophesied a parable about trees who wanted a king over them. They asked the olive tree, the fig tree, and the vine. All refused. The bramble (Abimelech) wanted to rule, but he ruled by terror. Jotham prophesied that the people would kill Abimelech.
Note: Have you, a friend, ever had a dream or prophecy that was hard to understand?  But was made simply when the interruption came.

Judges 9:53-56 - "...a certain woman cast a piece of a millstone upon Abimelech's head, ...and he died. Thus God rendered the wickedness of Abimelech, which he did unto his father, in slaying his seventy brethren."